Ellen Williamson retired in 2007 after 36 years of Federal service with the Department of Defense.  She was also a professor for 15 years as a “jobby”.  I love this combination of hobby and job, or a hobby with pay!

Anyway, she continues to consult with firms interested in Federal Government Acquisition on an ad hoc basis.

Although she has varied interests, including travel, hiking, charity and cultural events, we spent most of our time talking about a senior services club she belongs to called GetOffYourRockers.org.

I took the liberty of going on the website to see what this senior services club was all about.  Here is a list of currently available activities:

* Biking.  Every Monday

* Bowling.  The second and fourth Thursdays

* Camping

* Chair Yoga

* Charitable Work

* Cultural Events

* Foot Golf (I'd never heard of this before now!)

* Golf

* Hiking (once a month on Fridays)

* Kayaking and Stand Up Paddle Boarding

* Potlucks

* Sailing

* Skiing

* Social Hours

* Tennis

* Travel

* Ushering (volunteering at a theatre)

* Walking (every evening)

If you can't get your heart's desire with GOYR, then you are a tough nut to crack for sure!

Not only does this senior services club help her get out and do what she likes to do, but it also helps her keep in touch with friends, and make new ones.

In addition, it provides support for people who are recently retired, or just thinking about it.  You can hang out with someone who's already retired, and you can talk to someone who can help you recognize that retirement doesn't have to be scary.

Ellen reminded me that change of any kind, including retirement, can take up to a year and a half to be OK with it.

We've had many guests say the same thing.  I think joining a club like this is a great way to go.

But what if your town doesn't have a senior services club like GOYR?  You can start one of your own.  These days, Meetup makes it easy, and we've had other episodes that talk about Meetup. Go check them out and then start or join a club of your own.

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com